title: Aloe vera oral administration accelerates acute radiation-delayed wound healing by stimulating transforming growth factor-β and fibroblast growth factor production.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Delayed wound healing is a significant clinical problem in patients who have had previous irradiation. This study investigated the effectiveness of Aloe vera (Av) on acute radiation-delayed wound healing.
  
  
  METHODS
  The effect of Av was studied in radiation-exposed rats compared with radiation-only and control rats. Skin wounds were excised on the back of rats after 3 days of local radiation. Wound size was measured on days 0, 3, 6, 9, and 12 after wounding. Wound tissues were examined histologically and the expressions of transforming growth factor β-1 (TGF-β-1) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were examined by immunohistochemistry and reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Wound contraction was accelerated significantly by Av on days 6 and 12 after wounding. Furthermore, the inflammatory cell infiltration, fibroblast proliferation, collagen deposition, angiogenesis, and the expression levels of TGF-β-1 and bFGF were significantly higher in the radiation plus Av group compared with the radiation-only group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data showed the potential application of Av to improve the acute radiation-delayed wound healing by increasing TGF-β-1 and bFGF production.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Small Animal Surgery, Department of Veterinary Medicine, Iwate University, 3-18-8 Ueda, Morioka, Iwate 020-8550, Japan. atiba_2003@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Atiba
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nishimura
authors.forename: Shizuko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kakinuma
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hiraoka
authors.forename: Masanobu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goryo
authors.forename: Yoshiya
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ueno
authors.forename: Yuji
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Uzuka
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000284:Administration, Oral; D000504:Aloe; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D008517:Phytotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology / Q000528:radiation effects; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000187:drug effects; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014945:Wound Healing / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D005346:Fibroblast Growth Factors